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Topic : 08/22 Unforgettable Weight Stories

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Created on : Wednesday, December 28, 2005, 12:05:16 pm

Author : DrPhilBoard1

(Original Air Date 01/04/06) Have you ever stepped on the scale and thought, "That number can't be right"? You don’t have to wait until the new year to resolve to lose weight or eat healthy. Kristine stopped making excuses for her weight and lost over 100 pounds, thanks to Dr. Phil's words of wisdom. See what Dr. Phil has in store for her. Then, Nicole is only 25 but morbidly obese. After a wake-up call from her family, friends, and Dr. Phil, will she find the courage and motivation to get healthy? And, is it possible to reach your weight loss goal and still be miserable? See one woman's shocking reality. Through the stories of these three women, losing weight becomes an emotional as well as a physical journey. Share your weight loss stories and challenges here.

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08/22 Unforgettable Weight Stories

I had a baby in 1/05 and now weigh 113 pounds. I haven't ever really struggled with weight but I have to vent a little bit. I am very happy for those that have struggled and have lost the weight but quite frankly I don't understand why the rewards from others are so intense. I haven't received a vacation because I lost weight. Where is my vacation for maintaining a healthy weight and healthy lifestyle??? I am in no way biased or opinionated against overweight people, in fact, I was the one in high school who got into fights defending those that were picked on. I think people that want to loose weight need to do it for themselves, not for a reward or an incentive. Same thing goes for people that drink to much or do drugs, no one can help themselves but themselves. I struggle with my appearance all the time because society demands us to be thin, however, my little one is all the exercise I need and I eat healthy. I truly don't get why some other women can't do the same. I have one child and he wears me out. I don't understand how women with multiple children can become overweight. Once you're little one begins to walk and talk you're life is unscheduled for the next 18 years. My mother had 5 kids and never was overweight. I'm not judging anyone I'm truly trying to understand why this is so hard for some people, why does it take a reward to loose the weight, and what recognition do I get for not letting myself go. Please, anyone that reads this, do not lash out at me, I'm really trying to help myself understand. I have many friends struggling with weight and I want to be a better friend and knowledgable on how to help, not hurt. Any advice or suggestions, please help me.

Thank you

Renee

Despite your statement that you really want to understand the dynamics behind weight gain and how to help your friends, your post says otherwise. Forgive me if this seems like I am "lashing out", but you *do* seem very judgemental and immature. If you truly wanted to INSPIRE, you wouldn't be "blowing your own horn" about your never having a problem maintaining your weight - and you certainly wouldn't be asking where your reward was for having a normal weight.

I think your comment is mean spirited, and you are attempting to hide behind saying you care, while still getting in your "digs." Otherwise, why wouldn't you simply say "Since I have never had a weight problem, I need help inspiring my friends who struggle and want to lose weight."

You imply that individuals who are overweight are weak, inactive, lazy, lack willpower or drive and you are somehow better because you are not overweight. You are, at this moment in time, VERY LUCKY. That does not mean that in the future, you may not suffer from depression, physical injury or illness, hormonal changes, poor home life, loss of family members, suffer financial problems or countless other situations that may very well lead you where you gain weight and have things get out of control. NO ONE wakes up one day and says "I think I'll eat and eat until I'm 100 pounds (or more) overweight." Gaining a significant amount of weight isn't a CHOICE to LET YOURSELF GO, it's a side-effect of having one or more serious problems in life and not having the resources to handle things properly.

Finally, everyone on this show wanted to lose weight for themselves. NO ONE wrote to Dr. Phil and asked a prize as a reward BEFORE they lost weight. They did it for themselves. Dr. Phil has decided these individuals should be rewarded for MOTIVATING and INSPIRING millions of viewers who may feel that they are stuck in a no win situation, unable to realize that the longest journey starts with a few simple steps. These woman SHOULD be rewarded as they make the seemingly impossible task of losing a tremendous amount of weight a reality - and what is wrong with that?

Dr. Phil, I am surprised at this show! What were YOU thinking?

I could understand having the person on who lost her weight the right way, and then the person who desperately needs to lose it. I wonder how the 390 pound woman felt about seeing the third guest and knowing that her body was what she could look forward to.

I am in the midst of losing 140 pounds (have lost 84) and it is not uplifting to see that it is possibly what you could look like when finished. The one thing I noticed about the woman who lost and was saggy was that she must be short to be at 134 now and have all that extra skin (which weighs). She said she had a 60 inch waist to start, and I weighed 318 to start but mine was 51 inches, so she must have really been short. I don't think most people would have that much sagging. Also, it was not brought out whether she exercised during her loss or not. She said it was over 3 years, so hers was a gradual loss (like mine), but I exercise and I just don't believe I am going to have that much sagging when I finish. I may get a pannectomy (stomach flap) removed, but that's all I think I will need.

I just thought that you get everyone motivated with the first person, then show the person that needs to get losing, and then the dastardly results of loss? I mean, yes health is better, and for me health is the most important factor, but I just don't think I would ever get over having skin hanging like that. I consider my self-esteem to be good, but I just don't think things being that bad would be something you would get over.

08/22 Unforgettable Weight Stories

I could understand having the person on who lost her weight the right way, and then the person who desperately needs to lose it. I wonder how the 390 pound woman felt about seeing the third guest and knowing that her body was what she could look forward to.

I am in the midst of losing 140 pounds (have lost 84) and it is not uplifting to see that it is possibly what you could look like when finished. The one thing I noticed about the woman who lost and was saggy was that she must be short to be at 134 now and have all that extra skin (which weighs). She said she had a 60 inch waist to start, and I weighed 318 to start but mine was 51 inches, so she must have really been short. I don't think most people would have that much sagging. Also, it was not brought out whether she exercised during her loss or not. She said it was over 3 years, so hers was a gradual loss (like mine), but I exercise and I just don't believe I am going to have that much sagging when I finish. I may get a pannectomy (stomach flap) removed, but that's all I think I will need.

I just thought that you get everyone motivated with the first person, then show the person that needs to get losing, and then the dastardly results of loss? I mean, yes health is better, and for me health is the most important factor, but I just don't think I would ever get over having skin hanging like that. I consider my self-esteem to be good, but I just don't think things being that bad would be something you would get over.

Maybe the message is to not gain in the first place.

I don't understand why people are so offended by the truth. I'm very fat, I know this, I know that my body will ALWAYS show evidence of this. This is the price of a food addiction, of waiting too long to get help, this is a result of abusing my body in that way.

My husband

My husband is in denial about his weight and when I have tried to get him to lose weight he just gets mad at me.His whole family on his mother side is over weight.His mom is dead she died of obesity.she was so over weight they ordered a special bed just for her.I think they said she was 400 pounds.my husband wieghts about 285 i think.I am worried about him.

Once in a while he asks his aunt over for dinner she gets upset with my kids cause they do not pile the food on there plate.She is very polit about it but does think my kids do not eat enough.I politly tell her that my kids eat enough that I have tought them to stop when they are full and do not eat very much junk food.She tells me how she use to be able to eat all day long and she thought it was healthy to be rowbust.She cant' eat that way anymore she has had stomace problems wich cause her pain when she does not eat right.

My husband forgets how much he eats.On day he brought home a five pound bag of m&m's from work he hide them from me and the kids only to give us about a hand full.They were gone in about two days.He started yelling at me and the kids because he really belives we ate them.Well we did not.He did the whole bag.We were all looking at each other very puzzled wondering why we were all introuble for what he ate.He still belives we ate it.He hide it from us none of us knew wher and didn't care.He also bought a chocolate cream pie gave us all one peice and ate the rest of it.He came home from work and was very upset that it was gone agian he blamed us for eating it.He had three pieces that night I watched him eat it.

Why does someone forget what the have eaten themselves and blame eveyone around them for eating it? He buys cnady and things hides them and eates them not sharing and is upset when it is gone.I cant' belive one person can really forget what the have eaten when they are wide awake when they eat.

I have completly given up on him he pouts yells and blames everyone around him.So I have started planning for his funneal and my widow hood.He has probaly got hight plood presure,I know he has high colesteral,He complanes all the time that his chest hurts,he snores so loud I have to leave the room to get any sleep.I have had to wake him up to start breathing.When I tell him his snoring makes it hard for me to get a good night sleep he yells at me and tells me to leave him alone that it 's me who has a problem not him.If i don't like it he doesn't care leave the room. but don't ever wake him up agian at night cause he pays the bills and I do nothing. So i get up after he is asleep and the kids are in bed asleep and go to the couch and get up before he is awake and get back into bed. What I would really like is him to lose wieght and stop snoring.But theat is not going to happen.So I know where all the papers are and when the kids leave I plann on moving into one of there bedrooms like my sister did. I will know how to do things for myself when he dies and I know he will cause he won't see a doctor or take meds.That is my fault also acording to him.I

08/22 Unforgettable Weight Stories

My husband is in denial about his weight and when I have tried to get him to lose weight he just gets mad at me.His whole family on his mother side is over weight.His mom is dead she died of obesity.she was so over weight they ordered a special bed just for her.I think they said she was 400 pounds.my husband wieghts about 285 i think.I am worried about him.

Once in a while he asks his aunt over for dinner she gets upset with my kids cause they do not pile the food on there plate.She is very polit about it but does think my kids do not eat enough.I politly tell her that my kids eat enough that I have tought them to stop when they are full and do not eat very much junk food.She tells me how she use to be able to eat all day long and she thought it was healthy to be rowbust.She cant' eat that way anymore she has had stomace problems wich cause her pain when she does not eat right.

My husband forgets how much he eats.On day he brought home a five pound bag of m&m's from work he hide them from me and the kids only to give us about a hand full.They were gone in about two days.He started yelling at me and the kids because he really belives we ate them.Well we did not.He did the whole bag.We were all looking at each other very puzzled wondering why we were all introuble for what he ate.He still belives we ate it.He hide it from us none of us knew wher and didn't care.He also bought a chocolate cream pie gave us all one peice and ate the rest of it.He came home from work and was very upset that it was gone agian he blamed us for eating it.He had three pieces that night I watched him eat it.

Why does someone forget what the have eaten themselves and blame eveyone around them for eating it? He buys cnady and things hides them and eates them not sharing and is upset when it is gone.I cant' belive one person can really forget what the have eaten when they are wide awake when they eat.

I have completly given up on him he pouts yells and blames everyone around him.So I have started planning for his funneal and my widow hood.He has probaly got hight plood presure,I know he has high colesteral,He complanes all the time that his chest hurts,he snores so loud I have to leave the room to get any sleep.I have had to wake him up to start breathing.When I tell him his snoring makes it hard for me to get a good night sleep he yells at me and tells me to leave him alone that it 's me who has a problem not him.If i don't like it he doesn't care leave the room. but don't ever wake him up agian at night cause he pays the bills and I do nothing. So i get up after he is asleep and the kids are in bed asleep and go to the couch and get up before he is awake and get back into bed. What I would really like is him to lose wieght and stop snoring.But theat is not going to happen.So I know where all the papers are and when the kids leave I plann on moving into one of there bedrooms like my sister did. I will know how to do things for myself when he dies and I know he will cause he won't see a doctor or take meds.That is my fault also acording to him.I

Maybe it's time for a graphic wake up call.

Download and print graphic pictures of people who have died of obesity, their inner organs. Get materials from your family Dr that explain that he is killing himself.

If he was driving full speed towards a brick wall you'd do anything for him, anything to make his stop.

There is a brick wall...I promise.

Give him these pictures and materials with a letter from you, explaining that he is breaking your heart and scaring you deeply.

He might need therapy to help him with his denial. Make his healthy top priority because he is literally killing himself...as sure as if he was going to pull a trigger on a gun.

that weight

Hey Guys,

Being fat is one of the worse things in the world. Being really fat as a teenager is even worse. This is another tipical story. I was eating because I was sad. Now, my family history is veryu long and not too happy. Dont worry, I'm not gonna talk for hours. I was born in Bosnia. I have four younger sisters and a mum. My dad lived and died as an alcoholic. He was killed while walking drunk, he was killed by a drunk driver. My mum was left with us kids, I was six. She had no one else but me so i kind of became another parent to the family. A lot of things were on my back even before my father died but especially after. I didn't want to put any more pressure on my mum, so all the problems i had, I kept for myself and started eating more and more.

When the war started, we moved to Ctoatia and lived there for five years. During that time my mum fell pregnant. Now people in the town we lived at are very narrow minded. They started judging my mum and all of us, especially me since I was the oldest. Once again I didn't want to upset my mum so i just kept on eating and keeping to my self. I don't even have to mention that i was geting fatter and fatter. In 97 we moved to Australia. I also forgot to mention that i was abused sexually so that was another reason for eating so much. My mum wasn't able to work because she has very bad back. We never had enough money. Not even now. We are so much in debt its not funny, but we survive. My mum was alays a fighter and thats what got her through so much in life. She is the most courageus woman in the world. If nothing else, she went to a new country without knowing anyone there or knowing a word of English with five daughters from the age of 13 to nine months.

Times were hard and still are. It was very hard as all the translating and takin mum to docrots after she became sick and my sisters amongst other things became really hard sometimes. Once again all I had the only true friend was the food. I couldn't trust anyone as too many people betrayed me too often. by the time i was 19 years old I was 168cm and 127kg. But even then I didn't see a problem with that. by then I had finished high school but was unable to continue my studies because of financial reasons. I did however work three jobs and very often did all three in one day and my working hours were 27h with the only breaks I was able to have were the drive between each job.

One day maybe a year and a half ago i was sitting on my bed and looked down on my thigh. I was 130 something kgs by then, but i could't care less. On that day as i said i looked at my tigh and realized how fat i was. It made me cry because of what i had done to myself because of other people. That was the turning point in my life. I started walking and eating heaslier with no take out food or nothing like that. I did however start writting stories and poems and that helped a lot. Instead of putting my emotions in food i put it on paper. before a year had gone b y i was 90kg. i had lost over 40 kg. I was so proud of myself. I kept going. Now I weigh about 75 kg but i want to lose maybe 10 more. I have met this wonderful guy and we want to get married. i will be 23 in a week on 2nd sept and am really happy. The only thing that still make me really sad is how my mum still has so many financial problems and is so much in debt. I had to give up all three of my jobs as she became really sick and i had to look after her and my sisters. I believe in God and I believe that one day we will resolve hat problem as well and maybe my mum will find someone who will make her happy or just be care free and live happy at least for a little bit of time as she never had anything easy. I really love my mum and am proud of her as i am of myself for losing more that 50kg. I wish anyone can do it. I wish you all guys luck. I really do. Thx Dr. Phil for giving us courage to change our lives.

Jennifer's dilemma

I was disappointed that the only advice Dr. Phil had for Jennifer was surgery, surgery, and more surgery. I was hoping he'd have some advice on how to deal with the inner self. Plastic surgery is not an option for everyone dealing with loose skin after weight loss. Physically, it has many risks and financially it can be out of sight for the average person. If surgery is the only future to look forward to, many people would make the decision NOT to lose all the weight. Dr. Phil, what other options are there?

08/22 Unforgettable Weight Stories

I was disappointed that the only advice Dr. Phil had for Jennifer was surgery, surgery, and more surgery. I was hoping he'd have some advice on how to deal with the inner self. Plastic surgery is not an option for everyone dealing with loose skin after weight loss. Physically, it has many risks and financially it can be out of sight for the average person. If surgery is the only future to look forward to, many people would make the decision NOT to lose all the weight. Dr. Phil, what other options are there?

This is why people need to lose weight for health and not for looks. People can make that decision NOT to lose weight, but studies show that even a small ammout of fat can have health risks...maybe some people are so shallow they'd rather die soon or suffer from a life of illness then to deal some loose skin.

Weight Loss

wt loss disappointments

Though I didn't lose 160 lbs, I did lose 100 lbs in the past year. I understand what Jennifer feels like. I always tell myself that the extra skin still looks better than the 100 lbs, but it's still embarrassing. The big embarrassment is with people who never knew you as an overweight person. In my case, I'm single and am now dating quite often. I'm always thinking "he can't ever know what I look like under these clothes." I think I look pretty good with my clothes on, but I'm terrified of anyone seeing me in shorts or a bathing suit because they'll expect me to look just as good in a bathing suit as I do in my tight jeans and shirt. Would they ever have a shock! I, too, think about gaining some weight back just to get rid of some of the loose skin.

Jennifer - you have a man who loves you and if he loved you and was satisfied with you when you were 160 lbs heavier, you can be confident that he's going to love you even with the extra skin you've got. Hang on to that man! You don't know how lucky you are! Good luck with any surgery you might have and I hope it helps you become more happy with your weight loss.